Understanding the Two Types of Pain

There are two main classifications of pain: the common type that arises from damaged tissue (nociceptive pain), and the more exotic kind that comes from damage to the system that reports and interprets damage, the nervous system (neuropathic pain).

NOCICEPTIVE PAIN

Tissue damage caused by injury to bone, soft tissue, or organs. This can be caused by cancer or physi-cal injury such as a cut or a broken bone. The pain may be an ache, a sharp stabbing, or a throbbing. It could come and go, or it could be constant. You may feel the pain worsen when you move or laugh. Sometimes, breathing deeply can intensify it.

NEUROPATHIC PAIN

Nerves function like electric cables transmitting signals to and from the brain. Nerve damage can interfere with the way those signals are transmitted, causing abnormal pain signals, such as burning, prickling, electrical shock, tingling or a stabbing sensation. Hypersensitivity to temperature or touch may also indicate nerve damage.

Understanding the two types of pain will help you understand the solutions your physician or pain specialist suggest for easing it.